


Aliens - Yuletide

by LateToTheParty



Category: Aliens (1986)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-20
Updated: 2012-12-20
Packaged: 2017-11-21 17:00:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/600065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LateToTheParty/pseuds/LateToTheParty





	Aliens - Yuletide

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dynamicsymmetry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dynamicsymmetry/gifts).



 

 

 

Aliens Cont.

 

Earth. What would it be like?

 

Such a long journey.

 

Fifty seven years in hypersleep. Ash. Weyland-Yutani Corporation.

 

Her daughter gone. Lost while she slept.

 

Burke. Weyland-Yutani Corporation. Her space-flight license. U.S.S Sulaco.

 

The blast devastated the colony. LV-426 was consumed.

 

Wasn’t it?

 

Nothing survived.

 

Nothing survived…

 

Warning transmission, origin unknown. The signal woke them. The space-freighter Nostromo. Twenty million tons of ore. Thedus to Earth. Seven crew, all expendable. How had Weyland-Yutani Corporation known?

 

The derelict. It all started there.

 

Did anyone dream in hypersleep?

 

 

Ripley awoke.

 

 

*

 

 

Cryonic stasis. The pain of flesh being torn apart – the abrupt realisation of reality as the nightmare gave way to cold, dry air. The U.S.S Sulaco.

“Mommy, what’s wrong?”

Newt. Newt?

Ripley looked left and right and drew the girl close. Her eyes scanned the deserted deck from above Newt’s hair.

Why was she awake?

“You’re hurting–”

She released her death-grip and Newt snuggled up. The prison… Sulaco’s cryotubes. Hicks; gone? The dog. Fiorina 161… a dream?

“Hush Newt.”

The lighting was as she left it. The warship was still. The egg. She had to start scans for the egg.

Bishop. Where was Bishop?

Rising as she set the girl down, Ripley felt a wave of nausea wash over her. White-hot splinters lanced through her mind; a searing migraine. A moment later and it had passed. They were alone. She reached behind her for Newt’s hand and headed for the infirmary. The metal grating was icy against her bare feet. They were still in space.

Where was Earth?

Auriga…

No, that wasn’t real. She felt Newt’s hand squeeze back. What was the date?

Bishop.

The infirmary was cold. The doors closed behind them automatically, and white filled their vision. She headed for the nearest terminal and started the ship scan.

“Newt.”

The girl had wandered off. Ripley crouched in front of her, then hoisted her up onto the bed. Another few quick taps and a secondary scan started. First Newt, then herself. Nothing. How could an egg got onboard without her knowing? How could an onboard fire occur?

The scans came back negative. It was time to find Corporal Hicks. Dwayne.

 

 

*

 

 

A navigation error. The Sulaco had drifted off-course. A few degrees. A solar flare. It had triggered the cryotubes to open. After reading the controls’ display, Ripley collapsed with a sigh. The course re-entered itself on the display.

“Where are we going?”

“Home.”

Ripley stared at the star map. Nodding, Newt climbed into her lap. From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a familiar silhouette.

“Ship’s secure.”

She nodded to Hicks. In one hand, he held Bishop. In the other, he held a fire extinguisher.

How long had they been awake? Moments before her?

A slow realisation dawned.

“We need to go back.”

Hicks’ jaw dropped.

“They’ll do it again.” The alien ship. The derelict. Had it been destroyed?

“Who?”

“Weyland-Yutani.”

There were objections. They had razed the planetoid. The derelict. They could scan LV-426 for it.

*

Multifaceted eyes looked on; she searched for lines of red, traces of heat. She had devoured the last one of her offspring some hours before. She stalked the remnants of the colony, her elegant legs picking through the rubble. Signs of life were fleeting. She was hungry.

*

There was nothing left. Her eggs lay broken. The bright light had wiped out most of her nest cycles before. Her children had infested the last of the prey and she had devoured her children in turn. She had searched everywhere. Her strength gone, she laid her last brood, knowing it was the end. As she lay down, she saw a glint in the dusk sky. It hadn’t been there before. She watched a smaller light part from it, and cocked her head. Saliva dripped from her teeth as it got lower and lower. It stopped at the birthnest. Slowly, she rose and headed towards the light.

She was hungry.

*

“There’s nothing here.” Hicks reported.

“Check it again.” Ripley ordered, flamethrower in hand. They had set up flamethrowers on tripwires at the alien ship’s entrance and makeshift fire mines around it. There weren’t any vents. They were out of ammo, and the automated turrets had been vaporised in the nuclear blast. “Let’s find the core and get out of here.”

Bishop remained on the Sulaco with Newt.

“They’ve all hatched. It looks like they’ve been eaten.”

“Something had to eat it. Let’s move.”

All the corporation cared about was profit and getting the creature. She could give them the ship or she could blow it to hell.

“Device planted. Countdown set.”

05:00.

They raced back to the entrance.

“Fu–”

She pulled Hicks aside.

*

Food. She stood in the doorway. Wombs for her young. She lunged then drew back. She had seen those lumps before. Tail flicking, she knocked a rock towards them. Sand went everywhere. She hissed. She wasn’t so easily deceived.

*

“It’s a queen!”

Ripley said nothing but readied her flamethrower. Grimly, she checked the tanks. Hicks hesitated and did the same.

“Bishop. We’ve got company.”

“Zoning in on your position. Preparing orbital bombardment.”

“On my signal.”

“You’ll kill us both.”

“Got another idea? If we can’t get past that thing, we’re dead anyway.”

03.30.

Hicks squeezed her arm and nodded. “What’s the plan?”

“Lure her in. I’ll trip the wire.”

Ripping the tape off the first of his five improvised grenades, Hicks hoisted his flamethrower.

They stepped back onto the ramp.

*

She saw them and shrieked. Tail darting, she moved in to spear them. Her claws flashed. Her saliva dripped. Steam hissed from the goblets in the sand. Treading around the lumps, she saw a stone roll by and her world went white. Screaming in pain and fury, she jumped, her left leg ruined. Quadruple jets of flame struck her in the face. Writhing as she burned, the two walking-wombs circled around her and raced towards the not-light light.

The female-womb yelled something.

She looked up. Twin pinpricks of light rapidly descended. The not-light started moving. She screamed her fury and dove for it, half her face melted. It was just out of reach.

*

“Bishop. Scan the EEV.”

“Unidentified organisms onboard.”

“Lock onto us.”

“Spacewalk?” Hicks asked dryly.

Below them, a mushroom of white flared.

Ripley smiled tightly.

The EEV stopped a few metres from the Sulaco.

*

“Mommy, you’re back.”

“Hey sweetie.” She picked the girl up. “Any lifesigns, Bishop?”

“None detected.”

Ripley and Hicks exchanged glances. Was it finally over?

 


End file.
